The short answer: Yes, you can usually open a US business account for your LLC without living in the US or having an SSN. You'll need your EIN letter, your state formation document, your operating agreement and your passport. The deciding factor is your country: Mercury and Relay each publish lists of countries they can't serve, and Pakistan and Nigeria are on both. Check those lists before you form the LLC, not after.
What US banks are required to ask for
Under the federal customer identification rule, a bank must collect at least a name, date of birth (for a person), an address and an identification number before opening an account. For a non-US person, the identification number can be a taxpayer ID, a passport number and country of issuance, an alien ID card number, or the number and country of another government-issued photo ID (31 CFR 1020.220). For your LLC, the bank will also look at who owns and controls it.
So there's no federal rule that says you need an SSN. But that's the legal minimum. Each bank adds its own risk rules on top, and those decide most applications.
Have these ready before you apply
- The EIN confirmation from the IRS (CP575 or Letter 147C). How to get an EIN without an SSN.
- Your stamped formation document from the state
- A signed operating agreement showing ownership
- Your passport, plus proof of your home address
- A short description of what the business does, who pays it and where its customers are
- A working website or other evidence the business is real
Who accepts which countries
This table summarizes what each provider says on its own site. Read the linked page for the full, current list before you apply.
| Provider | Type | What decides eligibility | Examples of countries it can't serve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Fintech (accounts held at partner banks) | Founder's country of residence, not citizenship. Also blocks businesses that operate in listed countries. | Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam, Ukraine, Indonesia, Nepal, plus sanctioned countries |
| Relay | Fintech (Thread Bank) | Any owner's citizenship or residency. Says it permits US entities with non-US owners in most cases. | Nigeria, Pakistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Cambodia, plus sanctioned countries |
| Wise Business | Payment account, not a bank | Wise checks support for your business's country during sign-up and says it will tell you if it supports you | Varies; check during sign-up |
| Payoneer | Payment account with receiving account details | Supported countries and currencies listed by Payoneer | Varies; see its supported list |
| Traditional banks | Banks with branches | Each bank's own rules | Many ask non-resident owners to open in person at a branch |
Under all of these sits US sanctions law. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control runs comprehensive sanctions on a small group of countries and regions, and no US provider can serve people there without a license (OFAC).
Don't try to work around a country list. Applying through a VPN, a friend's address or a nominee owner is misrepresentation. Providers that find out close the account, and money can be held while they review it.
The address problem
Banks and payment companies want to know where the business actually operates. Your registered agent's address is where legal papers go, not where you work, and providers increasingly reject it. On September 30, 2026, Stripe added two verification errors: one for addresses identified as a commercial mail receiving agency or virtual mailbox, and one for addresses identified as a registered agent's (Stripe changelog).
What usually works: give your real address abroad as the owner's address, and where a form asks where the business operates, give the honest answer, which for most remote founders is also abroad. Use the registered agent address only where a form asks for the registered agent.
Getting paid: Stripe, PayPal and marketplaces
A bank account and a payment processor are separate approvals. Payment platforms run their own identity and address checks on top of the bank's, and a rejection from one doesn't mean a rejection from another. Use the same legal name, EIN, address and owner details everywhere. Mismatches between your bank, your IRS record and your payment account are a common reason for holds.
When a US payer or platform asks for tax forms, remember that a single-member LLC is disregarded. The IRS says the foreign owner, not the LLC, gives the payer Form W-8BEN (IRS). Don't fill in a W-9 for the LLC unless a tax professional tells you to.
The order that avoids rejections
- Check the provider's country list against where you live and your citizenship.
- Form the LLC. Which state.
- Get the EIN and keep the IRS letter.
- Apply with consistent details and a real business address.
- Record the money you put in. It's a reportable transaction on Form 5472.
Questions people ask
Can a non-US resident open a US business bank account for an LLC?
Yes, in many cases. Several US fintech banking services accept LLCs with foreign owners and let you apply online with your EIN, formation documents and passport. Acceptance depends on where you live and your citizenship, because each provider keeps its own list of countries it can't serve.
Do I need an SSN or ITIN to open a US business bank account?
Not by law. Federal rules require banks to collect an identification number, and for a non-US person that can be a passport number and country of issuance or another government-issued ID. Individual banks may still set stricter requirements.
Which countries can't open a Mercury or Relay account?
Both publish lists. Mercury's goes by country of residence and includes Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Ukraine. Relay's applies if any owner has citizenship or residency in a listed country, including Nigeria, Pakistan, Ukraine and Venezuela. Check the current lists before you apply, because they change.
Can I use my registered agent's address as my business address for the bank?
Usually no. Banks and payment companies want the address where the business actually operates. Stripe added verification errors in September 2026 for addresses identified as registered agent or virtual mailbox addresses.
Do I have to visit the US to open a bank account?
Not with every provider. Online fintech providers verify identity remotely. Many traditional banks still ask non-resident owners to come to a branch in person, so ask before you travel.
What should I do if no US bank accepts my country?
Options include a payment account service such as Payoneer or Wise that offers US account details to eligible customers, or a bank in your own country that handles international business. Never use a VPN or someone else's address to get around country rules. Providers close accounts that do.
Sources
- eCFR: 31 CFR 1020.220, customer identification programs for banks
- U.S. Treasury OFAC: Sanctions programs and country information
- Mercury: Prohibited countries (help center)
- Relay: Prohibited countries for opening an account (updated August 11, 2026)
- Wise: Can my business use Wise?
- Payoneer: Receiving accounts FAQ
- Stripe changelog (2026-09-30): address validation errors for CMRAs and registered agents
- IRS: Employer identification number (EIN confirmation, CP575, Letter 147C)
Provider prices change often, so confirm at checkout. State fees come from our state-by-state cost table.